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‘Very unbalanced programmes’ – which French candidate is stronger on the world stage?

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Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen have wrapped their highly-anticipated presidential debate – so who will come out on top to lead France in a few days time?

It’s a little bit like deja vu for voters in France, with this exact same debate occurring five years ago when Le Pen last challenged Macron for the top job.

In just four days, French residents will once again take to the polls and elect their next president.

Incumbent leader Macron was victorious in the 2017 showdown and then went on to become president.

It is this debate that was seen as one of the reasons why Le Pen was unsuccessful in her bid for the presidency.

Analysts say Macron was largely on the offensive, appearing like a challenger and interrupting Le Pen on numerous occasions.

Political commentator Natanael Bloch joined ticker NEWS, and says the debate was more civilised than in 2017.

“Le Pen wanted to attack him (Macron) on the five past years. So that’s why Macron was on the offensive because he didn’t want to let her attack him on what he did in the five previous years,” he says.

Le Pen is currently trailing behind Macron in the latest polls, but political analysts stress the race to the Elysee Palace is far from over.

Millions of voters remain undecided and over the two and a half hours of debate, both are hoping to gain the upper hand.

“It’s very difficult to say if (the debate) will have an influence on the vote, there was only one survey poll that happened after the debate showing that at the moment, 60 per cent of the people who have watched the debate were more convinced than Emmanuel Macron and 40 per cent, by Le Pen,” Bloch tells ticker.

As the debate kicked off, Le Pen said 70 per cent of the French people believe their standard of living had declined over the past five years of Macron’s administration.

The two candidates butted heads over this as well as Russia, climate change and immigration.

Le Pen congratulated Macron for his work in Ukraine but criticised him for cutting off Russia.

Bloch says it was impossible for Le Pen to not recognise that Emmanuel Macron, once again, is quite good and successful in some international affairs.

“She’s saying that even if she’s financed by Russia, it doesn’t mean that she’s dependent of Russia, which obviously is something that is really not strong,” bloch tells ticker.

“When you watch the debate. The only thing that she wanted to bring, is that the European Union will have to deal with Russia.”

Macron has been a strong diplomat during the Ukraine war, putting France on the world stage, can the Le Pen handle foreign affairs when she’s so tightly focused on national issues?

Bloch says Le Pen has changed her position in terms of finance.

“In terms of foreign affairs regarding EU for example, a couple of months years ago, she was saying that she wants what we can call the free exit, exiting the European Union. And now when Macron teased her on that yesterday, she said that she doesn’t want to exit the EU anymore, but she wants France to recover more sovereignty and more powers within the EU,” he says.

Bloch says this is difficult, because there are some decisions that can only be taken at the EU level.

“And as an individual state, you can’t really deal even on the international scene, if you don’t have the EU support with you. And this is where we also see the limit of Le Pen programme in terms of Foreign Affairs and International Relations.”

He says Le Pen seems to be in the middle of somewhere. “And naturally assuming the fact that she wants to exit you as she wants also, that France is out of the NATO military command.”

“That’s something that she repeated is that she doesn’t want to quit EU anymore, she really wants France out of NATO military command. And she wants to integrate also Russia and create more tight relationship between NATO and Russia,” he adds.

“But you know, with all of these elements, it seems a very, very unbalanced programmes in terms of international relations.”

Finally, Bloch says Emmanuel Macron knows he has has some success on the international scene such as the Brexit and he has the lead to drive Europe through ongoing crises.

The debate was broadcast on the nation’s two biggest TV networks as well as news channels.

William is an Executive News Producer at TICKER NEWS, responsible for the production and direction of news bulletins. William is also the presenter of the hourly Weather + Climate segment. With qualifications in Journalism and Law (LLB), William previously worked at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) before moving to TICKER NEWS. He was also an intern at the Seven Network's 'Sunrise'. A creative-minded individual, William has a passion for broadcast journalism and reporting on global politics and international affairs.

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U.K. ambassador Peter Mandelson fired over Epstein ties

UK ambassador Peter Mandelson dismissed over deepening Jeffrey Epstein associations, amid scrutiny and pressure from Prime Minister Keir Starmer

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UK ambassador Peter Mandelson dismissed over deepening Jeffrey Epstein associations, amid scrutiny and pressure from Prime Minister Keir Starmer

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In Short:
– Peter Mandelson has been dismissed as Britain’s ambassador to the US due to connections with Jeffrey Epstein.
– Prime Minister Keir Starmer reversed his support after new details revealed the significance of Mandelson’s ties to Epstein.
Britain’s ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, has been dismissed following revelations about his connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer requested Mandelson’s withdrawal after emails indicated that the nature of their relationship was more significant than previously understood.The decision comes after the release of a birthday book containing a letter from Mandelson, referring to Epstein as “my best pal.”

Although Starmer initially supported Mandelson, he reversed his stance amidst growing pressure from his party.

The foreign ministry stated that new details indicated a changed understanding of Mandelson’s ties to Epstein, which warranted his removal.

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Deep Association

Mandelson reportedly suggested that Epstein’s first conviction should be challenged, which was viewed as troubling new information.

Expressing remorse, he acknowledged the painful impact of Epstein’s actions on victims and lamented his continued association with him, describing Epstein as a “charismatic criminal liar.”


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FBI hunts assassin who shot Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University

Charlie Kirk, conservative influencer, shot dead at 31 during speech at Utah Valley University, prompting ongoing manhunt for suspect

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Charlie Kirk, conservative influencer, shot dead at 31 during speech at Utah Valley University, prompting ongoing manhunt for suspect

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In Short:
– Federal authorities are investigating the shooting of Charlie Kirk, who was killed at Utah Valley University.
– A manhunt for the actual shooter is underway; two men have been questioned and released without charges.
Federal authorities are investigating the shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, who was killed while speaking at Utah Valley University.
The incident occurred around 12:20 PM when Kirk was shot in the neck, leading to a chaotic scene as attendees fled. Kirk, a father of two, died shortly after being taken to a local hospital.Investigators believe the shooter fired from a building approximately 200 yards away.

During the aftermath, two men, one of whom claimed to have fired the shot, were taken into custody but later released without charges. A manhunt is ongoing for the actual shooter.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox stated that those responsible will be held accountable, outlining the state’s commitment to justice.

President Donald Trump condemned the political climate surrounding Kirk’s death, blaming extreme rhetoric and violence.

In a statement, he remembered Kirk as a patriot who advocated for open debate. Following the incident, vigils were held nationwide, and classes at the university have been cancelled.

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Ongoing Investigation

As investigations continue, American flags will fly at half-staff until Sunday in honour of Kirk.

“I want to be very clear that this is a political assassination,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, told a news conference.

“And I just want to remind people that we still have the death penalty here in the state of Utah.

The Utah Department of Public Safety said that its State Crime Lab was “working with multiple active crime scenes”.

“These were identified based on where the victim was shot, as well as the locations where the suspect and victim travelled,” a department statement said.

“The shooting is believed to be a targeted attack. The shooter is believed to have fired from the roof of a building down to the location of the public event in the student courtyard.”

Eyewitness account

Attendee Tiana Lao said the shooting came as a shock in what otherwise felt like an= normal event.

“We didn’t realise it was real at first and then everyone began rushing out, shouting to get down in panic and distress,” she told ABC News.

“People were excited. There were some opponents like there usually are at these events … but they were peaceful, so this was a total shock.”


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Who was Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk?

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk assassinated at Utah university, leaving a significant void in U.S. conservative politics. #BreakingNews

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Conservative activist Charlie Kirk assassinated at Utah university, leaving a significant void in U.S. conservative politics. #BreakingNews


Conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been assassinated while speaking at a Utah university, sparking shock and grief across America.

Known as the founder of Turning Point USA, Kirk became a leading voice in the MAGA movement, shaping conservative youth politics and energising Donald Trump’s base.

His sudden death leaves a major void in the U.S. conservative landscape.

#CharlieKirk #TurningPointUSA #USPolitics #BreakingNews #TickerNews


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